my masterpost | my studygram | ask me anything
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[transcript under the cut]
Other advice posts that may be of interest:
All About Procrastination
How To Study When You Really Don’t Want To
Common Study Mistakes
7 Strategies to Improve Concentration
How to make your notes aesthetic
7 Ways to Power Up Your Notetaking
THE NOTETAKING PROCESS
what to do before, during and after class
BEFORE CLASS
How should you be preparing your notes for classes or lectures?
Print out and review any lecture notes or slides if available so you can figure out the structure of the class and the main headings that will be covered
Identify main concepts and terms you expect to learn
Search up any unfamiliar terms, phrases or concepts and get definitions or one sentence explanations
Write questions you hope the class will answer
Make note of any information that could be helpful from previous classes or readings, for example, key people, dates, formulae, definitions, etc.
Read any set preparation material from textbooks or articles and notes down your immediate thoughts
DURING CLASS
What should you do while in class to get the best notes?
Take notes in your own words
Use consistent abbreviations and symbols
Include notes for all aspects of the class (eg. discussions and visuals)
Answer any questions you wrote before class
Add depth and detail to the notes you bring to class (eg. are there any specific examples that the teacher brings up for example?)
Note new questions or areas of confusion from the lecture so you can review those concepts later
Capture main ideas and sufficient detail (definitions, examples, images)
Make connections between concepts both from within the class and from previous classes
AFTER CLASS
Now that you have notes, what should you do with them?
Make time to return to your notes after class, at the very least to read over them
Add clarification and explanation to any areas where you were confused and look up any questions you had (you could also ask your teacher)
Compare notes with a friend or study partner to check for any missed information
Transform your notes into a new format (e.g. mind map, quiz questions, study guide)
Create short summaries with the most important information and keep for later revision (you could even challenge yourself to a certain word limit)
Use your notes to self-test on key concepts by creating your own practice questions and mark schemes
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my masterpost | my studygram | ask me anything
[click images for high quality]
[transcript under the cut]
Other advice posts that may be of interest:
All About Procrastination
How To Study When You Really Don’t Want To
Common Study Mistakes
7 Strategies to Improve Concentration
How to Make Your Notes Aesthetic
How to Stop Procrastinating Series
how to improve your handwriting
examine your handwriting
Everyone's handwriting is different! So the first thing you need to do is look closely at your unique style so you know what you need to work on.
First, write out the alphabet and some sample sentences on a piece of paper. Here are some things you can look for:
Does your handwriting slant in a certain direction?
Is your handwriting fluid and relaxed or controlled?
Is your handwriting joined or printed?
Are there any letters that aren't formed properly?
Are there any letters that look too similar to each other?
Are your letters inconsistent in size?
Circle any letters that aren't quite right so you know which ones to focus on.
choose the right pen
You should never underestimate the power of a good pen! Having a pen that flows nicely and fits comfortably in your hand can make all the difference to your handwriting! Unfortunately, finding a pen that suits you can take time and lots of experimentation and I can't just tell you what to use!
What should you look for in a good pen?
Does the ink flow smoothly?
What size nib does the pen have? (Some handwriting looks better with a thicker or thinner line width so try out different sixes to see what suits yours!)
Is it a gel, fountain, or ballpoint pen?
Is it thick enough that you can hold the pen in a relaxed grip? (A thicker barrelled pen can help to extend the fingers and loosen a tense grip)
Popular pens
Muji Gel Ink Pens (what I use!)
Pilot G2 Retractable Premium Gel Ink Roller Ball Pen
Pentel EnerGel Deluxe RTX Gel Ink Pen
Uni-ball Jetstream Stick Roller Ball Pen
Zebra Gel Pen Sarasa Clip
Find the right paper
Just as a good pen is important, so is the paper you use! Do you prefer lined, square or dotted paper? Does the pen flow smoothly on the paper? Does ink bleed through the paper? Again, it is about finding what works for you!
experiment with position and rotation of paper
We are generally taught to keep our paper in a vertical position in front of us. If that works for you, great! If not, feel free to experiment with different paper rotations. Keeping the paper at a certain angle can go a long way in helping you to improve your handwriting!
Like most aspects of handwriting, paper rotation is a personal thing, so try lots of different angles to find what fits. Right-handed people should start at the vertical position, and rotate the paper to the left until writing feels easy and comfortable. Left-handed people should start at the vertical position, and rotate the paper to the right.
Padding the Paper
No matter what paper you use, it should always have a few more sheets of paper under it. This allows the pen to write more smoothly and is easier on your hand. It doesn't need a lot, just a couple pages!
slow down
Anyone who has done an exam knows that having to write really fast can make your handwriting deteriorate. We are often forced by school to write as fast a possible, so much so that for many writing fast becomes a habit to the detriment of our handwriting.
Therefore, it's incredibly important to consciously slow down when trying to improve your handwriting. Take the time to form each letter correctly and ensure the spacing, sizing and slant is consistent. As you practice this neater handwriting and get used to how it flows, you will naturally be able to increase your speed as you become more confident.
embrace your personal style
Handwriting is a very fluid, personal thing that is always evolving. Your handwriting at this very moment is probably very different to what it was a year ago. Handwriting is not like calligraphy, where you more or less write the same every time. Instead, you’ll have neat days, and you’ll have not-so-neat days! That's perfecting natural!
No matter how your handwriting looks, it is a reflection of you and your personality. So, don’t get too hung up on a radical change that completely alters how you write: instead, focus on making clearly formed letters that are easy to read and neater.
Remember it's not about getting it "perfect", but rather, progressing and improving over time.
practice and persevere
Like anything, handwriting takes time and practice. The more you write using good habits and implementing styles that appeal to you, the better your handwriting will get.
But at the same time, sometimes it will look worse before it gets better, which can be demotivating. Therefore, it is important to persevere and remember that it will improve. You might also not even fully notice the gradual improvement so make sure to look back over your past handwriting to see how far you have come!
Ideas for Practice
Quotes
Song lyrics
Pangrams
Crosswords
Journalling
Snail mail
Shopping lists
School workbooks
Doodle
Thank You!
I hope that this will help you improve your handwriting and that you found this useful!
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